Air-shaft for mines



A. s. men/mason.

, AIR SHAFT FOR MINES.

APPHCATION FILED oEc,24, 191 9.

1 1 17; Paten June.7, 1921.-

UNITED STA 'I'TES v ALLAN S. RICHARDSON, OFIBUTTE, MONTANA.-

AIR-SHAFT Fort Specification of Letters Patent; Patented J 11116 7, 1921.

Application filed December 24, 1919. Serial No. 347,058.

T 0 aZZwk-Om it may concern Be it known that I, ALLAN S." RICHARD-.

SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Butte, in the county of Silverbow and State of Montana, have invented certain-new and useful Improvements in Air-Shafts for Mines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to mine shafts and particularly to air shafts.

It is the principal object of theinve'ntion to make provisions-to increase the air carry-1 ing capacity of the'shafts and also for protection of shaft timbers against fire.

The invention, in its broader aspect, consists in smooth-surfacing air shafts;

consists in molded plates or slabs and auxiliary molded connecting links between the slabs and the shaft timbers for smooth-surfacing shafts in a simple and efie'ctive manner.

For a fuller understanding of the invention reference is had to the appended drawings in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the usual main shaft timbers;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2, Fig. 1 showing how the invention is applied;

F Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on line 33,

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the usual wall plate;

Fig. 4: is 'a similar View showing a wall plate piece attached thereto according to the invention;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a wall plate piece, and

Figs. 6 and 6 are front and rear views respectively of a slab.

In Fig. 1, 1 represents wall plates running from one end of the shaft to the other, 2 the end plates interconnecting the wall plates 1 at the ends thereof and 3 center plates by which the shaft may be divided in a plurality of compartments or shaft sections. Vertical timbers4 rest on the wall plates and support another set of wall plates which in turn support other vertical timbers or posts. The structure represented illustrates the usual shaft structure to which my invention is to be applied.

To carry out the object of my invention I use principally two structural elements, namely a wall plate piece 5 and a slab 6, both made of mortar or concrete. The wall plate pieces 5 are set upon the wall plates 1,

the end plates and the center plates and form the bases for the slabs 6 to rest upon.

In shafts which have been in use for sometime, the edges of the horizontal timbers or plates are often badly cut by falling rock as" indicated in Fig. 4 In order to properly set the angular pieces or wall plate pieces 5 upon the wall plates, it is necessary. to apply to' the latter an even bed of mortar. I also cut notches 9 in the upper surface of the plates 1, 2 and 3 and fill these notches with mortar or cement. Upon the timber thus preliminarily treated I set the angular wall plate piece 5. 'While there is of course con- V 1 siderablelatitude in the selection of means In its more specific aspect the invention for securely locking the pieces 5 to the timbers, I'prefe'r to-form' a plurality of holes 7 flanges 6 at the top and the bottom which together with vertical ribs 6 extending along the rear surface stiffen the slab and also afford means for setting it in place. After the wall plate pieces 5 are put in place, the slabs are set so that at the lower end the flanges rest directly on them, the smooth surface being set outward toward the shaft. Wooden wedges 8 are then driven in between the top of the slab and the bottom of the wall plate above it. In this manner the slabs are securely held in place. When all the slabs in a given compartment are thus set in place, they are pointed-up with cement or mortar to produce a continuous smooth surface throughout the compartment. It is understood that prior to the finishing touches the projecting portions of the wedges are cut off flush with the surface of the slab.

The particular mode of securing the slabs in place has been referred to becauseit is exceedingly simple and satisfactory. How-' central winding shaft section. The guides V 7 10 for the cage are fastened by lag screws to the center plates 3 and after the slabs 6 are set in place at both sides of the guides 10, the exposed surface is finished as previously described.

I claim: r

1. The combination with the horizontal timbers of a mine shaft of angularpieces of fire-proof material adapted to rest upon the horizontal timbers and extend over the front surfaces thereof, means for securing the said pieces to the timbers, slabs of fire-proof material formed to extend from the uppersurfaces of the angular pieces on one set of horizontal timbers to the lower surfaces of the next higher set of horizontal timbers and means for securing the slabs ip position.

2. The method of smooth-surfacing mineshafts which consists in securing to the horizontal timbers thereof angular pieces of cementitious material resting on the upper surface of the timbers and covering the front surface thereof and securing between the upper surfaces of said angular pieces and the lower surface of the next set of horizontal timbers slabs of cementitious material.

3. The method of smooth-surfacing mineshafts which consists in securing to the horizontal timbers thereof angular pieces of cementitious materlal resting on the upper surface of the timbers and covering thefront surface thereof,- securing between the upper surfaces of said angular pieces and the lower surface of the next set of horisurface of the timbers and covering the front surface thereof, wedging slabs of cementitious material between the upper surfaces.

of said angular pieces and the lower surface of the next set of horizontal timbers, removing the projecting portions of the Wedges and filling the interstices with cementitious material.

5. The step in the method of smooth-sur facing mine-shafts which consists in notching the upper surface of the horizontal timbers, applying an even bed of 'cementitious material thereto, uniting with said bed angular pieces of cementitious material extending.

over the front surface of said timbers and supporting slabs on the upper surface of said angular pieces;

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses. r

A o ALLAN S. RIOHARDSON.' Witnesses: p A. B. GEABEY, J. GgNANKnRvrs. 

